Bring on spring: 7 lawn care hacks to help homeowners master mowing season

MILWAUKEE, /PRNewswire/ — Warmer weather, sunnier skies and growing grass are signaling the return of spring. Homeowners can spend less time mowing and more time enjoying their yard this season with a lawnmower equipped with Briggs & Stratton® engine innovations. InStart®delivers effortless starting, Just Check & Add™ eliminates oil changes1, Quiet Power Technology® lets them work any time of day and Mow N’ Stow® makes storage simple.

These user-driven engine features are designed to help make yard work easier for consumers and eliminate the feeling of a “chore” that can accompany lawn care. Mowing technology has come a long way in the last five years, and these leading engine innovations from Briggs & Stratton can help homeowners renew their lawn routine and get the yard of their dreams.

“Whether buying new or upgrading an existing mower, homeowners have told us time and again that they want a reliable engine that starts easily, is powerful enough to get the job done and is quiet enough that they can enjoy the outdoors,” said Rick Carpenter, vice president corporate marketing of Briggs & Stratton. “Our unique engine innovations solve all of these challenges for any type of customer. Whether they’re a weekend lawn warrior or a busy family with little time, we’re here to provide the equipment that will help homeowners conquer their yard work.”

Here are seven tips for spring lawn hacks:

Your lawn, your time: Mow the lawn when it works best for you while being a conscientious neighbor at the same time. Mowers powered by Briggs & Stratton’s engines with Quiet Power Technology are up to 50 percent quieter2 and have reduced vibration so you can take care of yard work any time of day—with no complaints.

Save time, save money: Briggs & Stratton’s Just Check & Add technology eliminates the messiest and most time-consuming seasonal mower maintenance—oil changes. With more free time and less hassle worrying about regular maintenance, the perfect lawn is faster and easier to achieve than ever.

Choose the right power for your yard: With a wide range of lightweight, yet powerful engines available in multiple configurations, finding the right fit for your yard is easy. When shopping for a new mower, look at both the cc’s (cubic centimeters) and the gross torque ratings to understand the power of the engine. The cc’s indicate the volume of fuel and air mixture within each engine cycle while the gross torque indicates the power created to turn the blade. Generally speaking, the higher the cc’s and gross torque, the more powerful the engine. Featuring a best-in-class torque-to-weight ratio, Briggs & Stratton engines offer a compact build for reduced vibration, quieter operation and easy maneuvering.

Listen to your grass: Spring rains will usually provide all the moisture your grass needs for a good start to the growing season, but when in doubt, listen to your lawn—if you step on your grass and it springs back, it doesn’t need watering. After a good sprinkler session, your lawn should be upright, signaling its thirst is quenched. If in need, try to get your watering done between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m.; if you water during the day, you will lose half the water to evaporation.

Prepare your tools: Ensure all the parts of your lawnmower are prepared to dominate the spring greens. Change the air filter (many Briggs & Stratton models offer tool-less air filter access), check the air intake for rodent nests and sharpen or replace the blades following the directions in the Operator’s Manual. And, if you have a model that still requires a seasonal oil change, tools like Briggs & Stratton’s oil extractor kit and Oil Finder make the task simple and mess-free. Be sure to use oil specially made for small engines on outdoor power equipment3.

Ready, set, go: Save your arm workout for the gym. With InStart electric push-button starting, featuring lithium-ion battery technology, you’ll never have to pull a rope again—but still receive all the benefits of a gas engine. Plus, a full one-hour charge delivers up to 75 starts. Or, with ReadyStart® technology, you no longer have to worry about priming or choking the engine—just pull the rope and away you mow. Both features are backed by our Starting Promise™, meaning they start in two attempts, or we’ll fix it for free4.

Out of sight, out of mind: When you’re done conquering the yard, a Mow N’ Stow engine’s patented design allows a lawnmower to be folded in half and quickly stored upright without any fuel or oil leaks, reducing its storage footprint by up to 70 percent5. It fits in those tight spaces in your shed or garage, giving you more room for your other toys and more time to spend enjoying your new yard.

Mowing the lawn doesn’t have to be a chore. If a homeowner’s current machine is cutting more time out of their life than their lawn, a Briggs & Stratton engine can help them hack the hassle from their yard work and spring duties. To learn more, visit www.betterwithbriggs.com.

About Briggs & Stratton Corporation:Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is focused on providing power to get work done and make people’s lives better. Briggs & Stratton is the world’s largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment, and is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of power generation, pressure washer, lawn and garden, turf care and job site products through its Briggs & Stratton®, Simplicity®, Snapper®, Ferris®, Vanguard™, Allmand®, Billy Goat®, Murray®, Branco®and Victa® brands. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on six continents. For additional information, please visit www.basco.com and www.briggsandstratton.com.